Tony's take on the roster

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Otter said:

Or that no player is going to listen to a guy who had the worst season in the history of baseball.

I''d still listen to him talk about 401 K's.

I'm pretty sure Davis knows a lot about 401 K's.

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think it says a lot about Davis that Mancini is being forced to emerge as a clubhouse leader.

It says they have a very young team without many established major leaguers.   Among the offensive players you’ve got Davis, Trumbo and Villar as more established than Mancini (I’m not counting Rickard, who has more service time but far fewer at bats and isn’t assured of a roster spot).

The whole “team leader” thing is overblown.  The fact that some players may go to Mancini for advice doesn’t mean that players aren’t going to Davis or whoever.   

[TheOtherRipken]

12 minutes ago, Otter said:

Or that no player is going to listen to a guy who had the worst season in the history of baseball.

I have a theory that Davis had an awful 2018 on purpose so no one remembers his terrible 2017. That’s the type of lesson we need to teach out young players.

[Tony-OH]

On 2/3/2019 at 3:26 AM, wildcard said:

Tony's Take is a good read.  And I think he will agree its dependent on who Elias adds to the roster between now and opening day.

What is your Take?

 

 

 

Thanks bud appreciate your comments. I didn't really push it too much because I was planning on doing a piece that details the "battles" a bit more. This was more of my first take at the current spring training roster that I'll update throughout spring training in the Spring training tracker at the top of the forum.

I think there are a ton of jobs open overall and I plan to take a more detailed look and give some odds on guys making the team and or starting. I'm also taping a show Wednesday night that will go into these battles as well. We should have it ready to be webcasted by next week.

[Aristotelian]

13 hours ago, wildcard said:

Infield: Davis 1B/DH, Villar 2B, Nunez 3B.   Tony sees a competition between Martin and Jackson at SS.   I have to add Alberto to that competition.  He has AAA experience that the other two do not have.  And his defensive and offensive numbers put him in the mix. Mancini could see time at 1B.

Utility:  I believe whoever of these three does not win the SS competition can stay as the utility infielder.  In fact both may stay. Martin and Jackson are Rule 5 guys and Alberto is out of options.  So they either stay or they have to be returned or DFA'd.

I think infield is the most interesting position. It's clearly on the GM's mind. Reinheimer is a possibility too and some people have mentioned Wilkerson as having a shot. The problem is, I believe we would lose any of Jackson, Martin, Alberto, and Reinheimer, that aren't kept.  I do feel that Jackson and Martin have the highest upside and would prefer not to lose them if possible.

[Tx Oriole]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

It says they have a very young team without many established major leaguers.   Among the offensive players you’ve got Davis, Trumbo and Villar as more established than Mancini (I’m not counting Rickard, who has more service time but far fewer at bats and isn’t assured of a roster spot).

The whole “team leader” thing is overblown.  The fact that some players may go to Mancini for advice doesn’t mean that players aren’t going to Davis or whoever.   

They might Frobby. I really don't see Mancini in that role either. 

[El Gordo]

I'm interested in seeing Diaz and Hays in ST.

[wildcard]

2 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

I think infield is the most interesting position. It's clearly on the GM's mind. Reinheimer is a possibility too and some people have mentioned Wilkerson as having a shot. The problem is, I believe we would lose any of Jackson, Martin, Alberto, and Reinheimer, that aren't kept.  I do feel that Jackson and Martin have the highest upside and would prefer not to lose them if possible.

Reinheimer and Wilkerson both have options.

[wildcard]

34 minutes ago, El Gordo said:

I'm interested in seeing Diaz and Hays in ST.

So am I.  7 pre season  games will be on MASN.   The first in Feb 23rd.

[Going Underground]

13 minutes ago, wildcard said:

So am I.  7 pre season  games will be on MASN.   The first in Feb 23rd.

Is that from 2018?

[Legend_Of_Joey]

46 minutes ago, wildcard said:

So am I.  7 pre season  games will be on MASN.   The first in Feb 23rd.

Have they posted the TV schedule yet?

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, Going Underground said:

Is that from 2018?

Tom Davis reported that on Wall to Wall Baseball.

[tntoriole]

It is going to be a long season I suspect and spring training may be our peak.  I am trying to psych myself up about the changeover, the multiple kids and the new regime,etc...but I am just not there yet.  I hate seasons where we are basically noncompetitive.  

[sportsfan8703]

11 hours ago, El Gordo said:

I'm interested in seeing Diaz and Hays in ST.

Exactly. Sorting out position battles for a team that is going to lose 100 games doesn’t interest me. Watching Hays, Diaz, Mountcastle does interest me. 

[foxfield]

17 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think it says a lot about Davis that Mancini is being forced to emerge as a clubhouse leader.

I do think Davis' time with the Orioles is more contingent upon how he effects the clubhouse than many assume.  

 

By that I mean, if he is positive in the clubhouse, he might have more lattitude regarding his actual performance.  But if he is an issue in the clubhouse, and there is no reason to think he will be, I think he would be dropped like a rock.

17 hours ago, Frobby said:

It says they have a very young team without many established major leaguers.   Among the offensive players you’ve got Davis, Trumbo and Villar as more established than Mancini (I’m not counting Rickard, who has more service time but far fewer at bats and isn’t assured of a roster spot).

The whole “team leader” thing is overblown.  The fact that some players may go to Mancini for advice doesn’t mean that players aren’t going to Davis or whoever.   

Team Leader thing may well be overblown, but I think it is also true that "team" is underrated.  By that I mean a team coming together and being more than the sum of their parts.  This doesn't show up in any analytic stat.  But is a glue or cohesive aspect of every successful office, company or sports team.  And it is not the end all, be all either.  But it's there sometimes more obvious than others.

But I believe the successful teams of the Buck/DD era had it and the team over the last year and a half did not.  I also believe it is the best reason to believe that a team that has no Manny, no Schoop, No Gausman, No O'day, No Jones etc.....will actually be a more successful team than the team that won only 47 games last year.  I do not think the 2019 team will be better than the 2018 team.  I think it will be more successful.

And I am not throwing rocks at the guys above.  They had it and then they lost it.  I don't know why, but they did.  Positive energy isn't going to take the O's to 82 wins this year.  No, they are going to lose 100 +/- a small amount.  But I think positive energy for the rebuild gets them to 55 to 60.  Of course, if it doesn't please refer to the post above by Can_of_Corn.  

2cents, not a cup of coffee or anything, but...